GBI Magazine

Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 27, Digital 4

Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.

Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/790203

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 62 of 84

GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 63 "We know we need to make an impression at every game," director of marketing and fan experience Michae- la Patt said. "We found a company in Nebraska (Q-Raider) that could help make it happen with using the cell phone app." Patt loved the idea but stressed out about the imple- mentation. And she knew that it would take more than smartphone-crazed students in the Paint Crew to have the desired outcome. "We knew we had to educate our men's season ticket holders early and often if we were going to get them to download the app on their phone," Patt said. So in all season ticket mailings, there was information about how to download the app. Internally, the next step was coordination of the lineup music and pregame video. The app is triggered by an inaudible frequency in the mu- sic, but the timing has to be perfect. Patt admitted to some nervousness on how it would work. After several trials in the office with the lights turned off and staff members holding their phones, she had a hunch they had a winner. Patt could track the number of people that had down- loaded the app, so the audience was poised to participate. The first big test was the game against defending nation- al champ Villanova. That's when the hunch turned into a positive reality. Purdue may not have been the first to try the light show — Marquette did it for one game — but it is the first pro- gram to do it for an entire season. "I can't tell you the number of emails I have received this season from schools wanting to know how to do it and where to get it," said Patt, a Nebraska graduate just a handful of years removed from the campus in Lincoln. "We have become the basketball program that everyone looks to." To date, 15,000 fans have downloaded the app, and a record 3,200 used it for the Wisconsin game on Jan. 8. Each cell phone can illuminate five seats, so Purdue's near 15,000-seat facility is illuminated. Yet, the pregame light show is just the visible example of trying to build an effective basketball experience. Trying to be innovative with interactive fan contests and video that tie in sponsors is important for paying the bills, but the trick is to make it entertaining, too. Patt spends the game at the top of Mackey Arena orchestrating the whole "show" from when the pep band plays, what con- test to run, to picking the winner of the Arni's Kiss Cam contest. She admits not everything works, but it is never boring. And make no mistake, the fan atmosphere, as it has been for its 49 years to date, feeds off the enthusiasm of Purdue's Hoops Marketing Mix Marketing 101 at the Krannert School says all good products have the 4Ps in their mix: Product: A nationally relevant pro- gram that is known for its lunch-pail approach and winning Big Ten titles (22) at an elite rate. Price: While ticket prices range from approximately $40-$60 a game, the school offers discounts based on seat loca- tion and for students. The 1,800-member Paint Crew is one of the strongest student basketball groups in the nation. Place: Mackey Arena, one of college basketball's greatest venues. Purdue has played to 93.3 percent capacity in 2016- 17. But with strong use of video, imaging and social media, Mackey Arena and the Purdue basketball experience can be delivered to the world. Promotion: With a 650-percent in- crease in @Boilerball Twitter followers since 2013 to extremely active Instagram and Facebook accounts, Purdue is front and center on social media. Once fans get to the game, there are a dozen or so interactive videos and contests to engage all fans, especially stu- dents. The future? Better wireless connectivity in Mackey allowing for more fan interaction.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of GBI Magazine - Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 27, Digital 4